Among other things, the Spaniard went to see laboratories and test facilities in the heart of the motor fuel research and development department at Shell. Prior to the German Grand Prix at Nürburgring, Alonso praised Shell’s long-standing technical partnership with Ferrari in Formula 1. One of the reasons for his visit was that the premium race fuel Shell V-Power Racing, which has been designed according to motor racing findings, has been available on the German market with a new improved formula since June.

Alonso was impressed by his tour of the research facility in Hamburg and stated: “I have been extremely impressed to come here and witness the work in person. It’s a great opportunity for me looking at huge work on development.

“The team here in Hamburg works hard trying to deliver us more horsepower and maximum performance, thanks to their help we have achieved a lot of success on the track. But we don’t want to stop. We will continue to work together to develop even better products. With Shell we know we are in good hands” said the 31-year-old. Shell V-Power Racing fuel contains 99 percent of the components that are part of the Shell V-Power race fuel for Ferrari’s Formula 1 team.

In Hamburg, Alonso met with a number of scientists, such as Shell Technology Manager of race fuels, Richard Karlstetter. “Our commitment to innovation through motorsport is an essential part of our extensive research and development program at Shell. That’s the key for us to produce better fuels for our customers” said the Shell expert. The Shell Technology Centre Hamburg is the centre of expertise for fuels and lubricants within the global Shell research network.

The partnership between Shell and Ferrari looks back on more than 60 years of racing history. During this time Shell has helped the Italian Formula 1 racing team to win the Constructors’ World Championship ten times, and the Drivers’ World Championship twelve times. At each Formula 1 race Shell is represented by three scientists who analyse samples of fuel and lubricant, and supply the Ferrari engineers with valuable information.